School is out and summer is here
with plenty of long, hot days ahead. That’s OK; there are plenty of fish to
catch and very few anglers competing as the summer months begin.
Look for
the best fishing early and late in the day when temperatures are coolest, try
to coordinate the better tides with this part of the day. Of course
thunderstorms are a strong possibility on any given day, fishing the morning
tides is a lot more predictable. However, fishing after an afternoon thunderstorm
can be very good. If the sky clears a few hours before the sun sets this is a
great time to hit the water.
Redfish
and mangrove snapper will be in the sights of many inshore anglers, both thrive
in the warm summer temperature and fishing for both should only get better as
the month progresses. Anglers will score
with redfish using two very different techniques: first, and this is generally
a very early or very late in the day strategy, is sight fishing.
The second method, much easier and
also very productive, is fishing under mangrove shorelines over the higher
tides. Not as much stealth is required here, fish are a lot more settled with
the added water over their head, plus they feel the security of the mangrove
roots and over hangs.
Mangrove snapper will be caught in
the same areas that you target redfish, under the mangroves and around oyster
bars. Anglers targeting the tasty fish will also look to areas with structure.
Inshore this includes the gulf passes; Redfish, Captiva, and Boca Grande all
have rocks and ledges that attract snapper and other fish. Also, docks, piers,
jetties, bridges, artificial reefs, and any other submerged debris piles are
sure to be likely snapper hotspots. In the gulf, most of the near shore
artificial reefs and underwater structure will hold mangrove snapper, and some
big ones.
If you
are looking for something more challenging there will be plenty of sharks
around to test your will. Sharks ranging in length from 3 to 10 feet, will be
roaming inshore waters, and often in water shallower than you think. Look for sharks in areas holding other fish.
If you have a spot that’s good for mackerel, ladyfish, bluefish, trout, etc.,
chances are good sharks are nearby. Make sure to use a wire leader and fresh
bait always works best. It’s a good idea to leave sharks in the water and
either unhook or cut the leader, it’s safer for both fish and anglers. We have
a lot of different shark species with different regulations; some are illegal
to remove from the water. If you plan on inviting a small tasty blacktip home
for supper, do your homework and learn to identify the different species.
While the height of tarpon season
starts to wind down, summer is still a great time to hook a silver king if you
are targeting them or not. Don’t be surprised if one blast a shark bait or a
big one blows up on your lure while targeting smaller fish.
Load up the family and go catch
some fish; it’s hard to beat a mess of fresh fried snapper or blackened redfish
and an ice cold beer in the summer.
"Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell
Phone: 239-283-7960
Website: www.fishpineisland.com
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